# signature police knock **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 30, 2013, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-police-knock/662248 "2013-06-30T06:46:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2013, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-police-knock/662248/21 "2013-07-01T03:31:07Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Where I went to school a “cop knock” was 4 very hard knocks using the butt end of your closed fist. BAM BAM BAM BAM. Scared the piss out of people inside. “Scared the piss out” is an understatement. I’ve pulled a gun on somebody who did that. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2013, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-police-knock/662248/22 "2013-07-01T06:42:44Z")
> [@Washoe](#): > > “Scared the piss out” is an understatement. I’ve pulled a gun on somebody who did that. Someone knocked on your door and you pulled a gun on them? Through the door? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2013, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-police-knock/662248/23 "2013-07-01T06:58:27Z")
Poor choice of phrasing. I removed the gun from its holster, racked the slide, flipped the safety, and cautiously opened the door with the gun concealed behind my back. But for reasons that I won’t go into, I had a very legitimate reason to be scared shitless. ---
**Author:** ![JustinC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justinc/32/8083_2.png) [@JustinC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustinC)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2013, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-police-knock/662248/24 "2013-07-01T17:34:38Z")
> [@Washoe](#): > > Poor choice of phrasing. I removed the gun from its holster, racked the slide, flipped the safety, and cautiously opened the door with the gun concealed behind my back. But for reasons that I won’t go into, I had a very legitimate reason to be scared shitless. You now have everybody’s attention. Please, do go on. A fireman\* once came to my house to tell me my car was on fire but he didn’t knock on the door, he rang the bell. \*It was my neighbor, who was a part-time fireman. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2013, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-police-knock/662248/25 "2013-07-01T18:16:27Z")
> [@Washoe](#): > > “Scared the piss out” is an understatement. I’ve pulled a gun on somebody who did that. > [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > Someone knocked on your door and you pulled a gun on them? Through the door? :dubious: I read that as “Someone knocked on his door and he thought it was a cop so he pulled a gun on them”. [Something like this?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jk6bZTfSIU) ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2013, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-police-knock/662248/26 "2013-07-02T02:07:34Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > I read that as “Someone knocked on his door and he thought it was a cop so he pulled a gun on them”. No, basically what happened was this. About 12 years ago I was the primary whistleblower in a $50 million corporate bank fraud case involving two black cocaine dealers from Oakland who were connected to Death Row Records, and according to one person I talked to, directly to Suge Knight himself. Anyway, I was watching TV and I suddenly heard what sounded like “demanding” knocking on the door. Turned out to be my idiot neighbor wanting me to help him see if his brake lights were working. The guy was about 80 years old, so he probably didn’t even realize what effect knocking in such a threatening manner would have. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-police-knock/662248.md?page=1)